From red-carpet interviews and designer ball gowns to acceptance speeches and parties, the Oscars are hard to resist watching. And we've found that the best way to enjoy the show is with a bunch of friends and, of course, a tasty drink in hand.
And while any good cocktail will do, we've discovered a number of recipes that are inspired by movie stars or were actually featured in classic films. What better way to toast the newest group of winners?
So, as you watch the Academy Awards, be sure to mix up one of these seven delicious concoctions and raise a glass to all the nominees. Cheers!
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What's your favorite movie cocktail? Tell us in the comments below.
Nick & Nora Dry Martini
The main characters of The Thin Man series of films, Nick and Nora Charles, are two of our all-time favorite movie characters. In addition to solving crimes, the charming couple (played by William Powell and Myrna Loy) was known for mixing drinks, imbibing everything from Scotch & Sodas to plenty of Martinis. And in one scene Nick even explains how to properly shake a Dry Martini: “the important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a Dry Martini you always shake to waltz time.”
View Recipe: Nick & Nora Dry Martini
View Recipe: Nick & Nora Dry Martini
Mary Pickford
Just like its namesake, the superstar Canadian-American actress, this rum-based cocktail is tantalizingly sweet but with a real kick. The pink tipple also calls for pineapple juice, grenadine and just a hint of maraschino liqueur. It’s a great choice: Pickford won an Oscar in 1930 for her leading role in Coquette, after all!
View Recipe: Mary Pickford
View Recipe: Mary Pickford
Jane Russell
Gentlemen prefer blondes? Well, brunette Jane Russell proved that’s not necessarily true. While she may never have won her own Oscar, we’d still like to toast the talented actress with this rye whiskey-based elixir that also calls for sweet vermouth, Grand Marnier, Bénédictine and spicy chocolate bitters. The concoction is as voluptuous as the bombshell was in her heyday!
View Recipe: Jane Russell
View Recipe: Jane Russell
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Champagne Cocktail
To paraphrase Robin Leach, Hollywood is all about Champagne wishes and caviar dreams. So what drink could be better than this simple and delicious bubbly classic on Academy Awards night? Especially since it appears in legendary movie Casablanca, which 70 years ago won three Oscars, including Best Picture. Cheers!
View Recipe: Champagne Cocktail
View Recipe: Champagne Cocktail
Vesper
While many movie characters have a signature cocktail, James Bond actually has two. In Ian Flemings’ first 007 book, Casino Royale, the suave secret agent doesn’t order a Martini but instead a vodka- and gin-based Vesper. Just before the book’s big poker scene starts, Bond asks for “three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it over ice and add a thin slice of lemon peel.” Of course, it’s now made with Lillet Blanc (Kina Lillet is no longer made), but the drink is Oscar-worthy nonetheless.
View Recipe: Vesper
View Recipe: Vesper
Tough to Hear
If your favorite actor or actress doesn’t win on Sunday night, we have a consolation prize for you: the Tough to Hear shot. This spicy absinthe, St-Germain and hot pepper concoction was created by Hollywood bartender Chris Hewes, who says he would serve it to a movie star who didn’t win an Oscar. But it’s so good, we recommend it to winners, too.
View Recipe: Tough to Hear
View Recipe: Tough to Hear
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Malice in Hollywood No. 1
Think tabloid journalism is bad now? Back in the 1940s, stars had to contend with the formidable gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, who created this aptly named cocktail. It’s a simple combination of bourbon and apricot brandy.
View Recipe: Malice in Hollywood No. 1
View Recipe: Malice in Hollywood No. 1